Long before he became “Chief Twit” of Twitter, Elon Musk had a different obsession: making Teslas drive themselves. Musk has described the Tesla “Full Self-Driving” technology as “the difference between Tesla being worth a lot of money and being worth basically zero,” but his dream of autonomous cars is hitting roadblocks.
In recent weeks, Tesla has recalled and suspended the rollout (推出) of the technology to eligible (具备条件的,合格的) vehicles for fear that its cars could disobey the speed limit and blow through stop signs. Customer complaints have been piling up, including a lawsuit filed in federal court last month claiming that Musk has overstated the technology’s capabilities. And regulators and government officials are scrutinizing Tesla’s system and its past claims as evidence of safety problems mounts.
In interviews, former tesla employees who worked on Tesla’s driver-assistance software attributed the company’s troubles to the rapid pace of development, costcutting measures like Musk’s decision to eliminate radar — which strayed from industry practice — and other problems unique to Tesla. They said Musk’s erratic leadership style also played a role, forcing them to work at a breakneck pace to develop the technology and to push it out to the public before it was ready. Some said they are worried that, even today, the software is not safe to be used on public roads.
Meanwhile, Musk pulled dozens of Tesla engineers to work with code at twitter, the struggling social media platform Musk purchased with fanfare last fall. Earlier this month, after tesla failed to announce a big new product on investor day, the company’s stock sank 6 percent. Musk has defended the company’s actions as long-term bets, with the prospect of unlocking tremendous value, and Tesla has said vehicles in full self-driving crash at a rate at least five times less than vehicles driving normally.
But the story of full Self-driving offers a vivid example of how the world’s richest person has complicated one of his biggest bets through rash decision-making, a stubborn insistence on doing things differently, and unyielding confidence in a vision that has yet to be proven.
4. Why does the author quote Musk in paragraph one?
A.To indicate that he is unsatisfied with the current situation. |
B.To show that he attaches significance to self-driving. |
C.To argue that his obsession is not realistic at all. |
D.To introduce his amount of wealth before he became “Chief Twit”. |
5. What does the underlined word mean in paragraph2?
A.Apply. | B.Research. | C.Increase. | D.Stop. |
6. Which of the following statements is wrong about Tesla?
A.Musk removed radar in order to cut cost. |
B.The technology was far from mature when it was applied. |
C.Musk made dozens of Tesla engineers to work day and night to purchase Twitter. |
D.Musk pushed employees to work at a very fast and dangerous pace to develop the technology. |
7. What’s the author’s attitude towards Musk’s leadership?
A.Approving. | B.Doubtful. |
C.Cautious. | D.Indifferent. |